Japanese media: Iran’s growing influence in Central Asia with membership in the Shanghai Agreement

“Iran’s readiness to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, chaired by China and Russia as permanent members, will allow Tehran to gain more influence in the Central Asian region, which includes the war-torn country,” the Japanese website was quoted as saying. Afghanistan is also in its neighborhood.

Niki Asia added: “Although the situation in Afghanistan may be a major concern for Tehran, Iran’s membership in this organization may also help strengthen its relations with China and Russia, as the largest and strongest members of this group.”

According to the report, Iran, which is under pressure from international sanctions, has been seeking full membership since joining the Eurasian bloc in 2005 as an observer member.

Harsh Wei Pent, head of the strategic studies program at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, told Niki Asia that Iran’s accession to the organization would make it a more central part of the Central and Middle East system. Tehran, which faces challenges from Afghanistan, wants to continue to monitor and follow the situation in the troubled country and the surrounding area.

In addition to a long history of cultural and political relations with Afghanistan, Iran is home to 780,000 registered Afghan refugees and nearly 2 million illegal immigrants.

At the end of the 21st SCO Summit held in the Tajik capital Dushanbe on Monday, the leaders of the eight main members of the organization expressed their agreement to change the membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran from an observer member to a full member and signed the relevant documents.